Secret
by Working-On-Sanity
Summary: When Naruto attempts to befriend R.N. trainee Sasuke, he never realized that he would discover such a startling secret of his life. A friendship can form on this mishap, but can a love like theirs dull the pain of a tragedy - even if it's caused by love?


**SECRET**

**CHAPTER ONE: Unintentional Discovery? A Promise!**

**Summary: **_When college student Naruto decides to become friendly with R.N. trainee Sasuke, he wouldn't have been able to guess that he would find out what he did. Learning of Sasuke's long-hidden, shamed secret, he vows to never tell - on a single condition. When Sasuke graduates as an R.N., he must become Naruto's nurse when the blonde receives his doctor's degree. But twisted lives and dark secrets can't keep promises - a friendship that was once as strong as heaven is crumbled, leaving Sasuke destitute and utterly alone. Why was it that the love given to him had to be a lying love?_

**Warnings: **_angst-centric, cross-dressing, implied homosexual rape, out-of-characterness_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_This story is dedicated mainly to **midori-desu**, my inspiration for all things Naru x Sasu. Hope she likes it, as well as Sasuke's green sports coat! _

_This fiction's theme is angst. If you don't really enjoy angst, then these first few chapters you may be able to tolerate, but I warn you that, in the ending, things will not be pretty. _

_I wanted to write a new personality for Sasuke, and a - hopefully - unusual one. His appearance, if you are puzzled, is the one of his Curse Mark level Two which is depicted in the anime. For those who can't bear OOC-ness, please don't flame me for writing Sasuke in a different manner than what he is portrayed as in canon._

**Side Note: **R.N. : Registered Nurse, Ph.D. : Doctor of Philosophy

* * *

><p>Naruto tilted his head with undisguised curiosity, watching with intense focus as the object of his attention shifted positions. The blonde's cornflower-blue gaze was disobediently absent from the sensei, who was lecturing animatedly on the subject of electrocardiograms - it was rare that Naruto would let his interest in pursuing his career fade, but at the moment, he had no desire to force himself to listen to Mizuki's explanation.<p>

Rather, he was scrutinizing the lean figure of the twenty-five year old male, whom had just been accepted into the certain training field of cardiology that Mizuki tutored. But the young man's image was certainly not what would be expected of a physician with such a great knowledge of the intricacy of the body's functions - he appeared more likely to be a dejected teenager gone rampant with rebellion.

While the majority of the students upheld the stereotypical idea of a specialist doctor, their countenances friendly and professional at best; they were prim and tidy, the epitome of well-practiced hygiene. Yet, this new student claimed none of those traits.

His hair was not neatly cropped - his bangs dangled below his chin and curtained his cheeks. The remaining locks of lavender were meticulously gelled into clumps which protruded from the back of his scalp, giving the boy a windblown look.

His heritage was, with little doubt, of Asian descent - his honey-hazel irises seemed to glow, his narrow eyes framed with dark fringes of lashes. His skin was a soft, light nutmeg-tan, not nearly dark enough to be considered any more than from the effects of prolonged sun exposure. But the single fact that attracted Naruto's attention more than any other was that the pastel violet-haired male's plump, pursed lips were coated with coal-black lipstick, which seemed almost normal against his bronzed flesh tone.

The final additions that emphasized his radiation of prideful disdain were the ebony, four-pointed star-shaped tattoo that had been inked into the bridge of his nose, fanning over his jaw; as well as the single silver-plated eagle charm that was suspended from the steel hoop ring in the lobe of the young man's ear.

But all the oddities of his appearance were little in comparison to his demeanor; rather than succumb to the cheerful attitudes of the other cardiologist trainees, the Japanese boy remained quiet, rarely interacting with his peers. His normal attitude was one of haughty spunkiness, yet he recieved no reprimand from the professors due to his high status of being the only son of Uchiha Itachi, the man who was famed for his discoveries in the field of toxicogenomics.

In spite of the hazel-eyed college student's negative treatment of his classmates, Naruto was experiencing the familiar desire to prod deeper into Uchiha Sasuke's background; perhaps, once fully established in their common platform of cardiology, the two could manage to unearth feelings of cordial friendship. After all, both were striving for the same goal of becoming one to detect potentially fatal heart disorders in people.

Naruto's reason for doing so stemmed merely from his love toward people. Sasuke's came from an entirely divergent reason - it was common knowledge, or rumor, rather, that his mother and sister had been subject to certain cardiac issues that ultimately brought their life to an abrupt halt. The boy only thought of the devastating occurence as he studied his textbooks, continuously delving in his own heartbreak as he learned more and more about the situation that had taken his family from him. Yet, he persevered, for the sake of holding back that same tragedy from others that may be in that situation. If he was capable of fending impending death from only one body, then his training would certainly not be considered for naught.

Abruptly bringing Naruto back to reality, Sasuke turned his head, yellow eyes widening as he discovered that he was being stared at. The look of surprise lasted only a fleeting moment, before lavender brows lowered with disgust, his forehead creasing in the intensity of his displeasure.

"What d'you want?" he whispered, his voice a low hiss, yet retaining its odd accent of mixed Japanese gracefulness and the drawl of Brooklyn-New York. "Stop watching me, or I'll beat'c'ha up after class," he sarcastically pretended to threaten, a smug grin stretching his painted lips. He seemed to relish Naruto's sudden discomfort, his smirk widening as the taller male returned his gaze to Mizuki, who was now scratching katakana into the blackboard.

_That is a weird kid. But that's the first time he's spoken to me_, Naruto realized, absentmindedly running his fingertip over the smooth spine of his cardio textbook. _Even if it was just to be snarky. Anyway, I heard Mizuki-sensei tell Genma-sensei that Sasuke has just bought an apartment a couple of miles away, so he's moving out of his dorm. Maybe, just to see if I can get to know him any better, I'll go help him pack his things later on._

Mulling over the prospect, the blonde stared at the corner of the chalkboard, once more enveloped in the haze of lost focus as the professor resumed his lesson.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke-kun, I heard that you were leaving the dorms today - I'm going to miss having you around to help me out with my studies!" Choji smiled genuinely, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly with respect. His cocoa-brown eyes were filled with admiration of the much smaller man, his awe present in his subdued motions.<p>

"I can help carry your packages and put away the rest of your stuff, if you like," the stocky Akimichi offered, crouching to assist Sasuke in carrying the luggage to his ancient and battered truck.

"Don't'cha worry about any of that," the lilac-haired male dismissed easily, his words overpowered by the crackling of wax-paper as he removed a square of pink chewing gum from its wrapper. Poking the candy into his mouth, one cheek bulging subtly to contain the oversized portion, he crumpled the paper and returned it to the hip pocket of his white denim shorts before adressing his roommate once more.

"Thanks 'gain, and all," he stated distractedly, "but I'll get those myself. Oh, and I'm going to miss your company, too," was his hasty addition.

Not appearing to be offended, the stout redhead's round face beamed gratefully, the freckles splashed over his glowing cheeks seeming darker beneath the glow.

"If you need any help with anything, I'll be on the third floor with Shikamaru and Jirobo, 'right?" Waving briefly in farewell, Choji exited the spacious, sparsely-decorated dormitory room, his heavy footsteps echoing emptily in the hall.

_I do need help with all of this_, Sasuke sighed silently, lifting a slender hand to comb his fingers through unruly blue-violet locks. He barely noticed how coarse his hair was, the result of many sessions of gelling, as he sank to his rumpled bed, pausing in an attempt to engrave the details of the area into his mind.

Choji's side of the room was cluttered, but neat, with many photographs of his family members and companions lining the shelf, looking very cheerful in their pinewood frames. All of his relatives bore the same large, firmly-built figures, spiked red hair, and freckles; Sasuke observed, not for the first time.

The man's cot was properly made up, the lime-green sheets unwrinkled and covering the thick pillows; the gleaming hardwood floor reflected the late evening light with its cleanliness. Everything was in its designated place, not from another's command, but because of Choji's own desire for perfect surroundings.

Sasuke's own section of living quarters badly contrasted with the tidiness of the opposite half: what he had not already packed into the numerous suitcases was strewn about the flooring, such as books and laundry. Issues of the _Akamaru Jump! _magazine littered his unmade bed, the comic books nestled into his the messy folds of the crushed velvet quilt; his desk was also in a state of pity, the surface of cherry invisible beneath the many notebooks, torn pages of notes, and innumerable gum wrappers.

"Hi, you! What's going on in here - it looks like you missed a spot," a friendly, gravelly voice informed, albeit thick with sarcastic interest. Naruto peered around the doorframe, blue eyes squinted as he surveyed the apparent recycling zone.

"Not you," Sasuke whined in disbelief, huffily slouching in order let his chin fall to rest in his cupped palm. "You're that really obnoxious guy who violates a person's privacy, am I right?" Without allotting time for an answer, he continued: "I didn't call for you. So buzz off - I've got a lot to do with movin' and all, so I can't be wasting time."

Not realizing that his own words were a hypocrisy, as he had just been resting, the student pushed himself from the side of the bed, busying himself by collecting wrinkled blouses and slacks. He ignored Naruto's presence, resuming his activities as though there were no others in the premises. Silence fell dense, pressing against Sasuke's ears as he anxiously awaited any fashion of retort from the blonde, who was idly lounging in the foyer.

"If you need to be at your apartment so soon, you have to get some help throwing all the rest of your garbage into your vehicle," Naruto finally declared, nodding toward the window in reference to Sasuke's truck and pointing in the direction of two suitcases that had previously been filled

"I could help," he offered, "since I don't have anything better to do." He immediately set to aid in gathering the articles of Sasuke's wardrobe that were scattered about the room. He seemed to be withholding no shame at all about holding a virtual stranger's clothing - Sasuke scowled at this undesired intrusion and wondered how the man had known of his plans, but kept quiet, not bothering to either scold nor thank Naruto.

"You know, I've been wanting to talk to you ever since you came into our class two months ago, ya'kno'what'I'mean?" Naruto chatted lazily as he carelessly folded a navy kerchief, tossing it into the jaws of an opened suitcase.

"You're the smartest guy out of all of us, I've heard, and I'm the dumbest, so we should get along," he joked, repeating the action of folding on a forest-green sports jacket. "Your father is the one who was in the newspaper several years back, the Uchiha, yeah?"

At the mention of his surname, Sasuke spoke, his pride incapable of keeping itself hidden. "He made some invaluable additions to the science of toxicogenomics," he smirked braggartly, his mixture of accents becoming heavier with self-satisfaction. "And I plan to assist others in doing the same in the field of cardiology, after I get my R.N. degree, of course."

"You want to be a nurse? That's neat," Naruto commented, pleased that his conversation was being returned. "I'm studying for my Ph.D - I've gotten my Master of Science degree already. All in all, though, I have around three years of courses left."

"Oh. How old are you?" Sasuke asked discriminately, with a dipping note which proved that he really had no desire to find out. He struggled to buckle a suitcase closed, the seams straining to contain the mountain of his belongings.

"I'll turn thirty-two this October. And you're only twenty-five now," the flaxen-haired student boasted childishly. "I outrank you in age and degree!"

"I have my honor's degree in medical school," the younger Japanese boy sulked, sitting crosslegged on the top of his luggage as he watched Naruto zip shut the last case of clothing. The interior of the dormitory looked only slightly more appealing after the garments had been removed.

"Want me to take these out?" Naruto offered, with such ease it was as though he had known Sasuke for ages longer than fifteen minutes. It startled the shorter male to a great extent how simple it seemed for the blonde to be talkative and kindhearted - though he still felt intruded upon, Sasuke was not foolish enough to refuse a free bellboy.

Denying his mind from listening to any more of the lively jabber, he merely heaved a bulging package from the cot, unceremoniously pushing it into Naruto's opened arms.

"Throw 'em in the back of my truck," he directed, cracking the wad of gum between his teeth as he cockily thrust his finger toward the door, wordlessly demanding that Naruto make his hasty retreat. "And you'd better not get everything smashed up - if I see a scratch on anythin' of mine, I swear I'll sue you for all it's worth to me."

"You're welcome," the whiskered man replied with innocent sweetness, his tone sugary and laced with amusement. "But, I've got to ask a favor of you, before you sue me drop-dead broke - care to show me which truck is yours?" he grinned brightly.

Sasuke exhaled deeply, as though desperately wishing that he could be rid of the nuisance that was the one holding his suitcases. "Look, mac, hurry along, 'kay? I didn't want you in here, and I really didn't want you messing with my stuff, so move it," he urged, closing his delicate fingers over the cuff of Naruto's yellow shirt and tugging incessantly on the material.

"You're a character," the elder chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the others' agitation. Obediently, as a mother would consent to her child's barrage of pleading to see a desired plaything, he followed Sasuke down the wide hall, through the side door, and into the large parking lot.

Countless cars of every model and color lined the pavement, the bumpers glinting in the sharp white sunlight and causing both the hazel and the blue eyes to narrow into slits. Wandering through the mazes of vehicles, they finally came to a halt behind a well-worked, dilapidated pickup truck, which, for all its rusted fenders and scratched red paint, was considerably clean. The hubcaps reflected Naruto's jean-clad shins as he meandered past, lifting the luggage with surprisingly little effort and tucking it into the back of the automobile.

What occurred afterwards happened in such an abrupt manner that Sasuke was able to do nothing but witness, his fingertips pressed to his black-painted mouth in shock: as Naruto raised one suitcase to arrange it beside the others, the corner of the package roughly made contact with the side of the truck. The tote burst open as the latch bounced undone, an array of lingerie tumbling like a miniature explosion onto the asphalt. Wrinkled petticoats fell in an abandoned heap adjacent to a linen kerchief ; crisp silken stockings caught on the side of the tire; panties made their landing in a crumpled pool of fabric.

The blonde stared, not in such a state of helplessness as Sasuke, but rather disconcerted at his own carelessness and quite mortified by the situation. Had he been informed that the _Mrs. _Uchiha had her belongings packed along with her husband's, then likely he would have taken greater consideration into the matter. He mentally pinched himself as punishment, awkwardly glancing toward the Japanese boy's paled face - Sasuke's eyes remained fixed on the scene before him, his dainty figure tense with embarrassment.

"Well," Naruto spoke, nervously, "I guess that was my biggest blunder of the day. Didn't know that you were - "

His act of confessing his belief that Sasuke had been bonded by marriage was immediately silenced by a venomous glare from the depths of the college student's amber orbs. The small man clenched his fists tightly in a vain attempt to control his rising temper as he madly begged himself to refrain from going on the defensive, which would further result in the downfall of his high reputation.

"I'm not!" he cried hotly in answer to the unfinished statement, his cheeks flushing with undeniable lividity. "You shouldn't have done that, you hare-brain - I told you to be careful with my things! Now look'it what you've done!" Indignantly, his vision blurring with tears of self-righteous anger, he dropped to his knees, furiously gathering up the intimate articles as he cursed Naruto's entire existence.

"..._your _things?"

Sasuke stopped in his movement, the realization of his mistake dropping powerfully to his slim shoulders. Unable to cease the growing ferocity of the liquid beading in the corners of his eyes, he refused to look at the blonde, continuing to snatch up the petticoats and knee-high stockings. Something warm trailed over the dark tattoo on the bridge of his nose, and before he could smear it away, the drop of moisture fell from his chin, causing a darker spot to fan over the silk of the kerchief he held.

"Wait... so you mean, the records were right?" Naruto questioned with expressive naivety. "I was told that you weren't married... so... if you don't have a girlfriend either, like Choji said you didn't... is all this...?" He expansively gestured to the armload of panties that Sasuke clutched, for the first time lost as in what to say next.

"Shut up," the lavender-haired boy ordered bitterly, confirming Naruto's assumption that _he _was the owner of the feminine undergarments. "Go back to wherever you're supposed to be and just leave me alone. Got that, mac? Or do you have to make this worse than it already is?"

Forcefully stuffing the lingerie into the package that had opened faultily, Sasuke stalked to the driver's side of the truck, plucking the stockings from the heavy tire as he made his way past.

"Hold it!" the flaxen-haired man yelped, guilt swirling through his stomach as jerked the passenger's door open, vaulting himself into the leather seat. Effectively assuring himself that the angered student would be unable to drive from the parking area for the purpose of kicking him into the roadside ditch, Naruto placed his hand on the knob of the gear shift, tightly squeezing until his knuckles cracked in response to the pressure.

"Hey, look - I'm sorry, kid," he stammered, the apology burning his tongue - he was completely unfamiliar with this strange, troubled person, and he had, so soon, inflicted an unhealable hurt on him? Sasuke adamantly denied himself turning his head toward Naruto, pressing his forehead to the blemish-free window in a weak attempt to get as much distance between them as was possible.

More than anything else, the Asian's shattered pride was throbbing painfully in his midsection, burning worse than his cheeks, or the skin beneath the ribbons of hot tears. This was unlike anything that he had been put through before - no one, also includhing his closest companion, Choji, knew of his habits. No one had ever discovered it before - not even his father was aware of what he chose to spend his paycheck on, rather than the way other men would purchase drillbits for his toolbox or lilies for his sweetheart.

And today, this perfect _stranger _had found him out, all by the fellow's own clumsiness. Sasuke ignored the pleading hand that touched his forearm, crowding himself against the door to shy away from the contact.

"Look, I'm sorry for dropping your package, alright?" Naruto finally snapped with exasperation, crossing his arms over his broad chest moodily at being unaccepted. He started when Sasuke's low, Brooklyn-New York dialect-influenced voice hissed out a forced:

"Uh-uh. It _ain't _alright."

Naruto sighed, never once removing his right hand from the gear shift lever, and closed his eyes tightly, begging to the only deity he knew to make some form of apology present in his mind.

"If you decide to tell a single _person_, I'll make sure that you never step out of this truck again," Sasuke snarled with feral disgust. "I promise it. Because if you _do_, you can bet your nose that I'll find out about. And trust me, mac, if I find out, you will literally never live it past. I know how to use a scalpel, and if I have the chance, I'll use it to its best."

Naruto found the words tumbling from his mouth with such meager complexity that he was shocked. Rather than retort childishly, he did the opposite of what was expected, evoking a flat stare of dumb disbelief from the younger boy.

"Tell you what, kid - I'll promise to never tell a soul. But you have to promise that, when you get your degree, that you'll only work under me as a nurse."

Sasuke blanched, snagging his plump bottom lip with his canine teeth and smearing the midnight-black cosmetic as he did so. _This _was the blonde's idea of a successful atonement? Was he in such desperation that he would resort to a command such as that?

Sasuke _couldn't_ labor under Naruto's demands - even if the blonde graduated with a Ph. D. degree. It had always been a set fact in his mind that he would continue the Uchiha line of medics - if he broke away from the Uchiha, it could mean disgrace on his part, not excluding the sin of disobedience to his father. But which held more importance: his own pride, or the concerns of his family?

Sasuke had always been the one in a group to be impulsive, acting on will rather than thought. It was great stupidity on his part to have decided so quickly, and without any planning or consideration toward what his parent could say to him. Any ideas of punishments were exempt from his consciousness, and the reality of the consequences that could befall him were nowhere present.

"If you promise not to tell, then I'll do it. As soon as I graduate," he said, gratefulness tightening his throat. His pride came first.

"But it has to be our secret."

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <strong>_This makes no sense. Anyway, there are some things I want to point out:_

_- _**Sasuke's accent/appearance/mannerisms/etc. **_I honestly don't want reviews saying that Curse Seal Sasuke is ugly, he is OOC, when you imagine his accent it sounds retarded, and so on. Do I care? If I did, it would not be in my fiction._

- **Inaccuracy of college settings. **_Believe it or not, I did research on college, since I'm not old enough to attend. I realize that some of the points mentioned are incorrect, especially Naruto and Sasuke being in the same class when one is studying for a Ph. D. and the other is trying for an R.N. I really tried to make it accurate, but it would never come out the way I wanted. But it isn't the main focus, so I'm letting this error go uncorrected._

-** Overused storyline. **_Be glad it isn't a High School AU. But this isn't a completely cliche plot, so please don't sacrifice me to Choji._

_Here's your fiction, **midori-desu**! I hope it isn't as bad as I thought - more to come soon... I guess._

_Reviews are welcomed, and very appreciated. But remember that criticism is meant to build up striving writers, not so you can rile an argument out of someone when you're bored! _


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